Reversible polarity fiber optic connector

ABSTRACT

A reversible polarity fiber optic connector includes an outer housing including a polarity key for coupling the outer housing to a fiber optic receptacle in only one orientation. A ferrule assembly is received in the outer housing in a first position corresponding to a first polarity of the fiber optic connector and in a second position corresponding to a second polarity of the fiber optic connector. The ferrule assembly forms an optical connection with the fiber optic receptacle. A boot assembly is releasably connected to the outer housing to enable the ferrule assembly to be inserted into and removed from the outer housing. The boot assembly includes a rotor rotatable between locked and release positions. The rotor includes a blocking portion to block disconnection of the boot assembly with the outer housing in the locked position and to permit disconnection of the boot assembly with the outer housing in the release position.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional App. No.62/938,117, filed Nov. 20, 2019, and U.S. Provisional App. No.63/072,313, filed Aug. 31, 2020, the entireties of which are herebyincorporated by reference.

FIELD

The present disclosure generally relates to a fiber optic connector,and, more specifically, to a reversible polarity fiber optic connector.

BACKGROUND

Optical connectors are used within optical communication networks tointerconnect optical cables to optical devices or other optical cables.Optical connections typically involve two optical connectors connectedtogether. In fiber optic connectors where more the one fiber ferrule ispresent, it can be important to control the orientation of the opticalconnector so that the proper connections are made when the opticalconnector plugs into an optical receptacle. Therefore, opticalconnectors are constructed to be connected in only one orientation tothe optical receptacle. This selected orientation can be referred to asestablishing a polarity of the connector.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, a reversible polarity fiber optic connector comprises anouter housing having a front end and a rear end separated along aconnection axis. The outer housing includes a polarity key configuredfor engaging a fiber optic receptacle to permit coupling of the outerhousing in only one orientation with respect to the fiber opticreceptacle. A ferrule assembly includes a front body, a first ferruleand a second ferrule. The first and second ferrules are supported by thefront body. The ferrule assembly is configured for mating reception inthe outer housing in a first position corresponding to a first polarityof the fiber optic connector and in a second position corresponding to asecond polarity of the fiber optic connector. The first and secondferrules project from the front end of the outer housing in both thefirst and second positions. The ferrule assembly is configured to forman optical connection with the fiber optic receptacle. A boot assemblyis releasably connected to the outer housing to enable the ferruleassembly to be inserted into the outer housing along the connection axisand to enable the ferrule assembly to be removed from the outer housingalong the connection axis when the boot assembly is disconnected fromthe outer housing. The boot assembly includes a rotor operativelyconnected to the outer housing for rotation with respect to the outerhousing about the connection axis between a locked positon and a releaseposition. The rotor includes a blocking portion. The blocking portion isconfigured to block disconnection of the boot assembly with the outerhousing in the locked position, and is configured to permitdisconnection of the boot assembly with the outer housing in the releaseposition.

In another aspect, a reversible polarity fiber optic connector comprisesan outer housing having a front end and a rear end separated along aconnection axis. The outer housing includes a polarity key configuredfor engaging a fiber optic receptacle to permit coupling of the fiberoptic connector in only one orientation with respect to a fiber opticreceptacle. A ferrule assembly is received in the outer housing and isconfigured to form an optical connection with the fiber opticreceptacle. A boot assembly is releasably coupled to the outer housingto enable the ferrule assembly to be inserted into the outer housingalong the connection axis and to enable the ferrule assembly to beremoved from the outer housing along the connection axis when the bootassembly is disconnected from the outer housing. The boot assemblyincludes a hook configured to engage the outer housing to secure theboot assembly to the outer housing. The boot assembly is rotatablerelative to the outer housing between a locked position where the hookengages the outer housing to secure the boot assembly to the outerhousing and a release position where the hook is detached from the outerhousing to permit the boot assembly and ferrule assembly to be separatedfrom the outer housing.

Other objects and features of the present disclosure will be in partapparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective from a forward vantage of a fiberoptic connector according to one embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a perspective from a rearward vantage of the assembled fiberoptic connector, with a portion of an outer housing removed to showinternal construction;

FIG. 3 is a rear perspective of the fiber optic connector with a rotorin a release position;

FIG. 4 is a perspective of a locking device of the fiber opticconnector;

FIG. 5 is side view of the locking device;

FIG. 6 is a rear view of the locking device;

FIG. 7 is a perspective of a strain relief boot of the fiber opticconnector;

FIG. 8 is a front view of the boot;

FIG. 9 is a perspective of a boot assembly including the boot and thelocking device, with a portion of the boot assembly cut away to revealinterior details, the boot assembly in a locked position;

FIG. 10 is cross sectional rear perspective of the boot assembly mountedon the locking device, the boot assembly in the locked position;

FIG. 11 is a cross section of the boot assembly mounted on the lockingdevice, with the boot assembly in the locked position;

FIG. 12 is a cross section of the boot assembly mounted on the lockingdevice, with the boot assembly in the release position;

FIG. 13 is a perspective of a fiber optic connector according to anotherembodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 14 is an exploded perspective of a boot assembly of the fiber opticconnector of FIG. 13 ;

FIG. 15 is a perspective of the boot assembly of the fiber opticconnector of FIG. 13 , with a rotor of the boot assembly in a lockedposition;

FIG. 16 is a perspective of the boot assembly of the fiber opticconnector of FIG. 13 , with the rotor of the boot assembly in a releaseposition;

FIG. 17A is a cross section of the fiber optic connector of FIG. 13 ,with the rotor in the locked position;

FIG. 17B is a cross section of the fiber optic connector of FIG. 13 ,with the rotor in the release position;

FIG. 17C is a cross section of the fiber optic connector of FIG. 13 ,with the boot assembly being removed from an outer housing of the fiberoptic connector;

FIGS. 18A-D illustrate the steps of changing the polarity of the fiberoptic connector of FIG. 13 ;

FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective of a fiber optic connector accordingto another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 20 is a perspective of the fiber optic connector of FIG. 19 , witha boot assembly in a locked position;

FIG. 21 is a perspective of the fiber optic connector of FIG. 19 , withthe boot assembly in a release position;

FIG. 22 is a rear perspective of an outer housing of the fiber opticconnector of FIG. 19 ;

FIG. 23 is a rear view of the outer housing of the fiber optic connectorof FIG. 19 ;

FIG. 24 is a perspective of the boot assembly of the fiber opticconnector of FIG. 19 ;

FIG. 25 is a front view of the boot assembly of the fiber opticconnector of FIG. 19 ;

FIG. 26 is a perspective of the boot assembly being coupled to the outerhousing to assemble the fiber optic connector of FIG. 19 ;

FIG. 27 is a rear perspective of the fiber optic connector of FIG. 19 ,with the boot assembly in the release position and shown in schematiccross section to reveal interior details;

FIG. 28 is a fragmentary perspective of the fiber optic connector ofFIG. 19 , with a portion of the outer housing cut away to revealinterior details;

FIG. 29 is a perspective of the fiber optic connector of FIG. 19 , withthe boot assembly in the locked position and portions of the outerhousing and boot assembly cut away to reveal interior details;

FIGS. 30A-C illustrate the steps of attaching the boot assembly to theouter housing to assembly the fiber optic connector of FIG. 19 ;

FIG. 31 is an exploded perspective of a fiber optic connector accordingto another embodiment of the present disclosure;

FIG. 32 is a perspective of the fiber optic connector of FIG. 31 ;

FIG. 33 is an exploded perspective of a boot assembly of the fiber opticconnector of FIG. 31 ;

FIG. 34 is a perspective of the boot assembly of the fiber opticconnector of FIG. 31 ; and

FIG. 35 is a perspective of the boot assembly of the fiber opticconnector of FIG. 31 , illustrating deflection of the strain reliefboot.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIGS. 1-3 , a fiber optic connector according to oneembodiment of the present disclosure is generally indicated at referencenumeral 10. The fiber optic connector is constructed to form a fiberoptic connection with a fiber optic receptacle (not shown). The fiberoptic receptacle can be any suitable receptacle, such as another fiberoptic connector, a fiber optic adapter, etc., for connecting with thefiber optic connector 10. When coupled to the fiber optic receptacle,the fiber optic connector 10 and fiber optic receptacle form an opticalconnection that enables communication between different fiber opticcomponents (e.g., cables, devices, etc.) in an optical communicationsnetwork. The fiber optic connector 10 is attached to an end of a fiberoptic cable C (an outer jacket of which is shown in FIGS. 1-3 ),although other arrangements are within the scope of the presentdisclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, the fiber optic connector 10is a male fiber optic connector configured to mate with (e.g., beinserted in) the female fiber optic receptacle. Other configurations ofthe fiber optic connector 10 are within the scope of the presentdisclosure. For example, the fiber optic connector 10 can be a femalefiber optic connector configured to mate (e.g., receive) a male fiberoptic receptacle. In another example, the connector could makeelectrical or other types of connections instead of or in addition to anoptical connection. The fiber optic connector 10 is a reversiblepolarity fiber optic connector that enables the polarity of the fiberoptic connector to be changed.

The fiber optic connector 10 includes an outer housing 12 and a ferruleassembly 14. The outer housing 12 has a front or distal end 16 and arear or proximal end 18 separated along a connection or longitudinalaxis CA (FIG. 1 ). The outer housing 12 defines an interior sized andshaped to receive and hold the ferrule assembly 14 (FIG. 2 ). Theinterior extends between the front and rear ends 16, 18 (e.g., theinterior is open ended). The outer housing 12 is configured to couple to(e.g., mate with) the fiber optic receptacle. The outer housing 12includes polarity keys 20 configured to engage the fiber opticreceptacle to permit coupling of the outer housing in only oneorientation with respect to the fiber optic receptacle. Accordingly, thefiber optic connector 10 can only be coupled to the fiber opticreceptacle in one orientation.

The ferrule assembly 14 is configured to form an optical connection withthe fiber optic receptacle. The ferrule assembly 14 includes a frontbody 22, a first ferrule 24 and a second ferrule 26. The first andsecond ferrules 24, 26 are supported by the front body 22. One or moreoptical fibers (not shown) of the fiber optic cable C are attached toeach ferrule 24, 26. The first and second ferrules 24, 26 are configuredto engage (e.g., mate with) the fiber optic receptacle, thereby formingthe optical connection therebetween. The first and second ferrules 24,26 project or extend from the first end 16 of the outer housing 12 whenthe ferrule assembly 14 is disposed in the interior of the outerhousing. The ferrule assembly 14 is releasably coupled to (e.g.,received in) the outer housing 12. In the illustrated embodiment, theouter housing 12 and the ferrule assembly 14 are free of mechanicalconnection to one another. Ferrule assembly 14 is able to slide into andout of the interior of the outer housing 12 through the rear end 18,when the rear end is not closed off as described below. The ferruleassembly 14 is configured to mating reception in the outer housing 12 ina first position (FIGS. 1 and 2 ) corresponding to a first polarity ofthe fiber optic connector 10 and in a second position (not shown)corresponding to a second polarity of the fiber optic connector. In thefirst position corresponding to the first polarity of the fiber opticconnector 10, the first ferrule 24 is disposed above the second ferrule26 (e.g., the first ferrule is adjacent a first side of the outerhousing 12 and the second ferrule is adjacent a second side of the outerhousing). In the second position corresponding to the second polarity ofthe fiber optic connector 10, the second ferrule 26 is disposed abovethe first ferrule 24 (e.g., the second ferrule is adjacent the firstside of the outer housing 12 and the first ferrule is adjacent thesecond side of the outer housing). In other words, changing the polarityof the fiber optic connector 10 changes the orientation of the first andsecond ferrules 24, 26 relative to the outer housing 12, and thereby thefiber optic receptacle (due to the polarity keys 20 permitting thecoupling in only one orientation). The fiber optic connector 10 permitsthe polarity of the ferrule assembly 14 to be changed relative to theouter housing 12. Specifically, the ferrule assembly 14 can be removedfrom the outer housing 12, turned over (e.g., rotated about 180 degreesabout the connection axis CA) and inserted back into the outer housingto change the polarity of the ferrule assembly. The first and secondferrules 24, 26 project from the front end 16 of the outer housing 12 inboth the first and second positions.

As an example, the first ferrule 24 may receive optical signals and thesecond ferrule 26 may send optical signals. Therefore, when the fiberoptic connector 10 is coupled to the fiber optic receptacle, the firstferrule 24 needs to be positioned to receive optical signals from thefiber optic receptacle and the second ferrule 26 needs to be positionedto send optical signals to the fiber optic receptacle. Being able toplace the ferrule assembly 14 in either the first or second positionensures the first and second ferrules 24, 26 can be appropriatelypositioned relative to the fiber optic receptacle to form the opticalconnection (e.g., match the polarity of the fiber optic receptacle). Ifthe polarity ferrule assembly 14 relative to the outer housing 12 doesnot match the polarity of the fiber optic receptacle, the opticalconnection will not form when the fiber optic connector 10 is coupled tothe fiber optic receptacle.

The fiber optic connector 10 includes a boot assembly 30. Generally, theboot assembly 30 secures the ferrule assembly 14 in the interior of theouter housing 12. To secure the ferrule assembly 14 to the outer housing12, the boot assembly 30 generally closes off the rear end 18 of theouter housing when the boot assembly is attached to the outer housing.Thus, the boot assembly 30 inhibits the removal of the ferrule assembly14 from the outer housing 12 when the boot assembly is connected to theouter housing. The boot assembly 30 is releasably connected to the outerhousing 12 to enable the ferrule assembly to be inserted into the outerhousing (through the rear end 18) along the connection axis CA and to beremoved from the outer housing (through the rear end) along theconnection axis when the boot assembly is disconnected from the outerhousing. By removing or disconnecting the boot assembly 30 from theouter housing 12, the ferrule assembly 14 can be removed from the outerhousing (through the rear end 18), turned over and then re-inserted backinto the outer housing (through the rear end) to change the polarity ofthe fiber optic connector 10. The boot assembly 30 can then bere-connected to the outer housing 12 (by inserting the boot assemblyinto the rear end 18) to re-secure the ferrule assembly 14 in theinterior of the outer housing. In this embodiment, the boot assembly 30includes a locking device 28 (e.g., a back post) and a strain reliefboot 32.

The locking device 28 is releasably connected to the outer housing 12and securely attached to the strain relief boot 32. Specifically, thelocking device 28 is releasably coupled to the outer housing 12. Thelocking device 28 is inserted into the rear end 18 of the outer housing12 to attach the locking device to the outer housing. When the lockingdevice 28 is attached to the outer housing 12, the locking devicesecures the ferrule assembly 14 in the interior of the outer housing.The locking device 28 generally closes off the rear end 18 of the outerhousing 12, thereby securing the ferrule assembly 14 in the outerhousing.

Referring to FIGS. 4-6 , the locking device 28 includes a deflectablelatch 34 (broadly, the deflectable latch is associated with the bootassembly). The deflectable latch 34 is engageable with the outer housing12 to prevent disconnection of the boot assembly 30 with the outerhousing, and is deflectable out of engagement with the outer housing topermit disconnection of the boot assembly with the outer housing. In theillustrated embodiment, the deflectable latch 34 is engageable with theouter housing adjacent the rear end 18 of the outer housing. The latch34 includes a tab or catch 36 positioned for engaging the outer housing12. Specifically, the tab 36 engages the edge of a recess or opening inthe outer housing 12, to secure the locking device 28 (broadly, the bootassembly 30) to the outer housing. (see FIG. 2 ). The latch 34 alsoincludes a finger tab 38 positioned to be engaged by a user fordeflecting the deflectable latch and moving the tab 36 out of positionto engage the outer housing 12. When the tab 36 is out of position toengage the outer housing 12, the locking device 28 and entire bootassembly 30 can be disconnected or removed from the outer housing 12.Accordingly, the latch 34 is moveable from a latched position (FIG. 2 )where the tab 36 is engaged with the outer housing 12 to secure thelocking device 28 (broadly, boot assembly 30) to the outer housing andan unlatched position (not shown) where the latch is detached from theouter housing to permit the locking device to be separated from theouter housing. The latch 34 is resiliently deflectable, thereby allowingthe latch to return to the latched position from the unlatched position.In the illustrated embodiment, the locking device 28 includes twolatches 34 (broadly, at least one latch). The two latches 34 aregenerally identical and located on opposite (top and bottom) sides ofthe locking device 28.

To disconnect the boot assembly 30 from the outer housing 12, a userdepresses the latch 34 to move the tab 36 inward and out of the openingin the outer housing (e.g., the unlatched position). After the latch 34is depressed, the boot assembly 30 is moved rearward, away from theouter housing 12. To connect the boot assembly 30 to the outer housing12, the locking device 28 is inserted into the rear end 18 of the outerhousing. As the locking device 28 moves forward, toward the front end16, the outer housing 12 engages a ramp surface of the tab 36 anddepresses the latch 34. The latch 34 returns to its original or at restposition (e.g., latched position) once the tab 36 becomes aligned withthe opening in the outer housing 12, thereby securing the locking device28 and hence, the boot assembly 30 to the outer housing.

In this embodiment, the locking device 28 includes a stator 40 formounting the strain relief boot 32 on the locking device. In theillustrate embodiment, the stator 40 includes two arcuate, partiallycircumferential flanges 41. The stator 40 includes at least one statortab or catch 42 for securing the strain relief boot 32 to the stator. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the stator 40 includes two catches 42, oneon each flange 41. The locking device 28 includes a cable opening 44sized and shaped to permit the cable C to pass therethrough. In theillustrated embodiment, the cable opening 44 is generally aligned withthe rotational axis (e.g., central axis CA) of the stator 40.

Referring to FIGS. 7-9 , the strain relief boot 32 is configured tobrace a portion of the cable C to reduce the forces exerted on theferrule assembly 14 by the cable. The strain relief boot 32 isconstructed to receive the cable C therethrough. The strain relief boot32 defines a cable lumen or passageway 46 sized and shaped to permit thecable C to pass therethrough. Preferably, the strain relief boot 32 isflexible (e.g., resiliently bendable or deformable) to permit the cableC to bend and move out of alignment with the central axis CA as thecable extends from the outer housing 12. In this embodiment, the strainrelief boot 32 is coupled to the locking device 28. The strain reliefboot 32 includes a rotor 48, but the entire boot may be considered arotor. The rotor 48 is adjacent the forward end of the strain reliefboot 32. The rotor 48 of the strain relief boot 32 is operativelyconnected to the outer housing 12 for rotation with respect to the outerhousing and locking device 28 about the connection axis CA.Specifically, the rotor 48 is rotatably mounted to the stator 40 of thelocking device 28. The rotor 48 includes stator recesses 50 that receivethe flanges 41 of the stator 40. The recesses 50 are arcuate andoversized, compared to the flanges 41, to permit the rotor 48 rotateabout the stator 40 (e.g., about central axis CA). The rotor 48 includesapertures or slots 52, each sized and shaped to receive the one of thecatches 42 of the stator 40. The catches 42 engage an edge of the rotor48 defining each slot 52 to secure the strain relief boot 32 to thelocking device 28. The catches 52 move in the slots 52 as the rotor 48is rotated about the stator 40, but the locking device 28 and strainrelief boot 32 remain securely connected to each other. The strainrelief boot 32 may also include a pull tab 54 for a user to grab inorder to move the strain relief boot (e.g., remove the boot assembly 30from the outer housing 12). In the illustrated embodiment, the pull tab54 is disposed adjacent to (e.g., at) a rear end of the strain reliefboot 32.

Referring to FIGS. 9-12 , the strain relief boot 32 (e.g., rotor 48)includes a blocking portion 56. The blocking portion 56 is configured toblock disconnection of the boot assembly 30 (e.g., locking device 28)from the outer housing 12. In the illustrated embodiment, the blockingportion 56 comprises a protrusion. The protrusion extends generallyradially outward. The strain relief boot 32 is movable between a lockedposition (FIG. 11 ) and a release position (FIG. 12 ). The blockingportion 56 is configured to block disconnection of the boot assembly 30(e.g., locking device 28) with the outer housing in the locked position.Specifically, in the locked position, the blocking portion 56 isdisposed or arranged to inhibit the latch 34 from being moved to theunlatched position—preventing the locking device 28 from uncoupling withthe outer housing 12. In the locked position (FIGS. 9-11 ), the blockingportion 56 of the strain relief boot 32 (e.g., rotor 48) is arrangedwith respect to the deflectable latch 34 so that the blocking portion isdisposed for engagement with the deflectable latch to prevent thedeflectable latch from being deflected. In the locked position, theblocking portion 56 is aligned with or underlies the latch 34 to preventthe latch from moving inward or toward the unlatched position (e.g.,from being depressed). The blocking portion 56 is positioned such thatthe latch 34 engages and is stopped by the blocking portion when thelatch is depressed before the latch reaches the unlatched position. Theblocking portion 56 is configured to permit disconnection of the bootassembly 30 (e.g., locking device 28) with the outer housing 12 in therelease position (FIG. 12 ). Specifically, in the release position, theblocking portion is disposed or arranged to permit the latch 34 to moveto the unlatched position—enabling the locking device 28 and entire bootassembly 30 to uncouple from the outer housing 12. In the releaseposition, the blocking portion 56 of the strain relief boot 32 isarranged with respect to the deflectable latch 34 so that the blockingportion is out of the way of the deflectable latch to permit deflectionof the deflectable latch. In the release position, the blocking portion56 is not aligned (e.g., radially aligned) with the latch 34, therebyenabling the latch to be deflected inward to the unlatched position(e.g., the latch can be depressed). The blocking portion 56 ispositioned such that the latch 34 does not engage and is not stopped bythe blocking portion when the latch is depressed. In the illustratedembodiment, the strain relief boot 32 includes two blocking portions 56,one for each latch 34 of the locking device 28.

In the illustrated embodiment, the strain relief boot 32 (e.g., rotor48) is rotatable between the locked position (FIG. 11 ) and the releaseposition (FIG. 12 ). Preferably, the strain relief boot 32 is configuredto rotate about 90 degrees or less between the locked position and therelease position. Such a short rotation allows faster disconnection andconnection of the boot assembly 30 to the outer housing 12. Even morepreferably, the rotation is limited to about 45 degrees or less, or evenmore preferably, about 15 degrees between the locked position and therelease position. In the illustrated embodiment, the stator 40 isconfigured to limit the rotation of the strain relief boot 32 (e.g.,rotor 48) relative to the locking device 28 (broadly, outer housing 12).The stator 40 (e.g., flanges 41) may engage the sides of the strainrelief boot 32 defining the stator recesses 50 to position the strainrelief boot in the locked and release positions (e.g., limit overrotation of the rotor 48). The friction between the rotor 48 and stator40 may keep the rotor from freely rotating about the stator (e.g.,central axis CA).

In operation, the strain relief boot 32 (e.g., rotor 48) inhibits theintentional withdrawal or disconnection of the boot assembly 30 (e.g.,locking device 28) when in the locked position. To change the polarityof the fiber optic connector 10, the strain relief boot 32 is moved(e.g., rotated) to the release position. After, the latches 34 aredepressed and the boot assembly 30 is moved rearward relative to theouter housing 12. As the boot assembly 30 is moved rearward, the lockingdevice 28 withdraws from the rear end 18 of the outer housing 12. Afterthe boot assembly 30 is removed, the ferrule assembly 14 can then beremoved as well. The ferrule assembly 14 is moved rearward relative tothe outer housing 12, and out of the outer housing. The ferrule assembly12 is then turned over (180° relative to the outer housing 12) andinserted back into the outer housing. By turning over the ferruleassembly 14, the polarity of the fiber optic connector 10 is changed.The ferrule assembly 12 is moved forward, into the interior of the outerhousing 12 through the rear end 18. After the ferrule assembly 12 ispositioned in the interior of the outer housing 12, the boot assembly 30is re-connected to the outer housing. The boot assembly 30 (e.g.,locking device 28) is moved forward and inserted into the rear end 18 ofthe outer housing 12. As the boot assembly 30 is moved forward, thelatches 34 (e.g., tabs 36) are engaged and deflected by the outerhousing 12. The latches 34 return or snap-back to the latched positionwhen the tabs 36 become aligned with the openings in the outer housing12, thereby securing the boot assembly 12 and the ferrule assembly 14 tothe outer housing 12. The strain relief boot 32 is then rotated back tothe locked position. As mentioned above, any unintentional withdrawal ormovement of the latches 34 is prevented by the blocking portions 56 whenthe rotor 48 is in the locked position, thereby locking the bootassembly 30 to the outer housing 12.

In one embodiment, the boot assembly 30 is operatively connected to theferrule assembly 14. For example, the cable lumen 44 of the strainrelief boot 32 is sized and shaped to receive the cable C. The bootassembly 30 is then operatively coupled to the ferrule assembly 14through the strain relief boot 32 and cable C and secured in a suitablemanner to a back post of the ferrule assembly 14. In this embodiment,the connection between the ferrule assembly 14 and boot assembly 30results in conjoint movement of these components. For example, theferrule assembly 14 and boot assembly 30 would move conjointly along theconnection axis CA to insert the ferrule assembly into the outer housing12 and to remove the ferrule assembly from the outer housing along theconnection axis. Likewise, the boot assembly 30 would also be turnedover (e.g., rotated 180 degrees about the connection axis CA) when theferrule assembly 14 is turned over to change the polarity. The bootassembly 30 is generally symmetrical and can be attached to the outerhousing if turned over. In other words, the boot assembly 30 (e.g.,locking device 28) and the ferrule assembly 14 can both be coupled tothe outer housing 12 in a first orientation and a second orientation,the second orientation being a rotation of about 180 degrees about thecentral axis CA relative to the first orientation. The connection orcoupling of the boot assembly 30 and the ferrule assembly 14 isgenerally the same in both the first and second orientations.

Referring to FIGS. 13-18D, another embodiment of the fiber opticconnector according to the present disclosure is generally indicated byreference numeral 110. Fiber optic connector 110 is generally analogousto fiber optic connector 10 and, thus, for ease of comprehension, wheresimilar, analogous or identical parts are used, reference numerals “100”units higher are employed. Accordingly, unless clearly stated orindicated otherwise, the above descriptions regarding fiber opticconnector 10 also apply to fiber optic connector 110. The fiber opticconnector 110 includes an outer housing 112 having polarity keys 120.

The fiber optic connector 110 of this embodiment is a reversiblepolarity fiber optic connector, like fiber optic connector 10. In thisembodiment, the fiber optic connector 110 has a removable (e.g.,releasable) boot assembly 130 having a different configuration than theboot assembly 30 described above. The boot assembly 130 includes astrain relief boot 132 and a rotor 148. The strain relief boot 132 isconnected to the outer housing 112. Specifically, the strain relief boot132 is releasably coupled to the outer housing 112. The strain reliefboot 132 is inserted into the rear end 118 of the outer housing 112 toattach the strain relief boot (broadly, boot assembly 130) to the outerhousing. When the strain relief boot 132 is attached to the outerhousing 112, the strain relief boot secures the ferrule assembly 114 inthe interior of the outer housing. The strain relief boot 132 generallycloses off the rear end 118 of the outer housing 112, thereby securingthe ferrule assembly 114 in the outer housing.

Referring to FIGS. 14-16 , the strain relief boot 132 includes adeflectable latch 134 (broadly, the deflectable latch is associated withthe boot assembly 130). The deflectable latch 134 is engageable with theouter housing 112 to prevent disconnection of the boot assembly 130(e.g., strain relief boot 132) with the outer housing, and isdeflectable out of engagement with the outer housing to permitdisconnection of the boot assembly with the outer housing. The latch 134includes a tab or catch 136 positioned for engaging the outer housing112. The catch 136 includes opposite front and rear ramped surfaces tofacilitate insertion and removal of the strain relief boot 132 into andfrom the outer housing 112 (e.g., to facilitate deflection of the latch134). The latch 134 is moveable from a latched position (FIG. 17A) wherethe latch is engaged with the outer housing 112 to secure the bootassembly 130 to the outer housing and an unlatched position (FIG. 17C)where the latch is detached from the outer housing to permit the strainrelief boot to be separated from the outer housing. The latch 134 isresiliently deflectable, thereby allowing the latch to return to thelatched position from the unlatched position. In the illustratedembodiment, the strain relief boot 132 includes two latches 134(broadly, at least one latch). The two latches 134 are generallyidentical in structure and operation.

In this embodiment, the rotor 148 is separate from and able to move(e.g., rotate) relative to the strain relief boot 132. Referring to FIG.14 , the strain relief boot 132 defines a rotor receiving space orcavity 149 sized and shaped to receive the rotor 148. The cavity 149 isadjacent the latch 134. Accordingly, when the latch 134 deflects, thelatch deflects or moves into the cavity 149. The is disposed in thecavity 149. The cavity 149 is in communication with the cable lumen. Thecable C extends through the cavity 149. The rotor 148 defines a cablelumen or passageway 151 through which the cable C extends. The cablelumen 151 is generally aligned with a rotation axis (e.g., central axisCA) of the rotor 148. The rotor is rotatable about the cable C (e.g.,central axis CA). Thus, the cable C acts as a stator for the rotor 148in this embodiment. The cavity 149 has opposite open sides to permit theuser to engage the rotor 148 to move (e.g., rotate) the rotor.

The rotor 148 includes a blocking portion 156. In this embodiment, theblocking portion 156 comprises an arcuate portion or surface. The rotor148 includes an unblocking or space-creating portion 157. The unblockingportion 157 is configured to permit the latch 134 to deflect or move tothe unlatched position (e.g., move into the cavity 149 a sufficientamount such that the catch 136 is out of the opening in the outerhousing 112). In this embodiment, the unblocking portion 157 comprisesan opening 159 into which the latch 134 can move (e.g., be deflected)into. In the illustrated embodiment, the opening 159 is defined by andextends inward from a generally flat portion or surface 161 of theunblocking portion 157. The flat portion 161 (e.g., center thereof) isgenerally disposed more radially inward than the arcuate portion (e.g.,center thereof) of the blocking portion 156 to create space for thelatch 134 to deflect. The rotor 148 is movable between a locked position(FIGS. 15 and 17A) and a release position (FIG. 16 and FIGS. 17B-C). Theblocking portion 156 is configured to block disconnection of the bootassembly 130 (e.g., strain relief boot 132) with the outer housing 112in the locked position. Specifically, in the locked position, theblocking portion 156 is disposed or arranged to inhibit the latch 134from being moved to the unlatched position—preventing the strain reliefboot 132 from uncoupling with the outer housing 112. In the lockedposition (FIGS. 15 and 17A), the blocking portion 156 of the rotor 148is arranged with respect to the deflectable latch 134 so that theblocking portion is disposed for engagement with the deflectable latchto prevent the deflectable latch from being deflected. In the lockedposition, the blocking portion 156 is aligned with or underlies (e.g.,radially underlies) the latch 134 to prevent the latch from movinginward or toward the unlatched position. The blocking portion 156 ispositioned such that the latch 134 engages and is stopped by theblocking portion when the latch is depressed before the latch reachesthe unlatched position. In particular, the arcuate portion of theblocking portion 156 is in registration with the deflectable latch 134in the locked position.

The blocking portion 156 is configured to permit disconnection of theboot assembly 130 with the outer housing 112 in the release position(FIG. 16 and FIGS. 17B-C). Specifically, in the release position, theblocking portion is disposed or arranged to permit the latch 134 to moveto the unlatched position—enabling the strain relief boot 132 touncouple from the outer housing 112. In the release position, theblocking portion 156 of the rotor 148 is arranged with respect to thedeflectable latch 134 so that the blocking portion is out of the way ofthe deflectable latch to permit deflection of the deflectable latch. Inthe release position, the blocking portion 156 is not in registration oraligned with the latch 134, thereby enabling the latch to be deflectedinward to the unlatched position (e.g., the latch can be depressed). Theblocking portion 156 is positioned such that the latch 134 does notengage and is not stopped by the blocking portion when the latch isdepressed. Said another way, the unblocking portion 157 is configured topermit disconnection of the boot assembly 130 (e.g., strain relief boot132) with the outer housing 112 in the release position. Specifically,in the release position, the unblocking portion 157 is disposed orarranged to permit the latch 134 to move to the unlatchedposition—enabling the boot assembly 130 to uncouple from the outerhousing 112. In the release position, the unblocking portion 157 of therotor 148 is arranged with respect to the deflectable latch 134 so thatthe unblocking portion is in registration with the deflectable latch topermit deflection of the deflectable latch into the cavity 149. In therelease position, the unblocking portion 157 is in registration oraligned with the latch 134, thereby enabling the latch to be deflectedinward to the unlatched position. The unblocking portion 157 ispositioned such that the latch 134 can move into the opening 159 whenthe latch is depressed.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rotor 148 includes two blockingportions 156, one for each latch 134 of the strain relief boot 132.Likewise, the rotor 148 includes two unblocking portions 157, one foreach latch 134 of the strain relief boot 132. The two latches 134 of thestrain relief boot 132 are disposed on generally opposite sides of thestrain relief boot. In the illustrated embodiment, the two latches 134define opposite sides (e.g., closed sides) of the cavity 149.Accordingly, the two blocking portion 156 are disposed on opposite sidesof the rotor 148 and the two unblocking portions 157 are disposed onopposite sides of the rotor. Therefore, the rotor 148 has a non-circularcross section. The arcuate portions of the blocking portions 156 aredisposed between and interconnect the flat portions 161 of theunblocking portions 157. The blocking portions 156 have ribs to improvethe ability to grip the rotor 148 for turning. The rotor 148 may includeat least one detent 163. In the illustrated embodiment, the rotor 148includes two detents 163 on opposite sides of the rotor, each detentbeing adjacent to one of the blocking portions 156. The detents 163extend into recesses or slots 165 in the strain relief boot 132 tosecure and hold the rotor 148 in the locked position. The detents 163overlie flats on opposite sides of the strain relief boot 132 to secureand hold the rotor in the release position (FIG. 16 ). The detents 163and/or strain relief boot 132 are resiliently deformable to permit thedetents to move relative to the strain relief boot 132 when the rotor148 is rotated with the application of a sufficient amount of manualforce by a user. Accordingly, the detents 163 prevent the rotor 148 fromunintentionally moving from the locked position and the releaseposition.

Referring to FIGS. 17A-C, to disconnect the strain relief boot 132(broadly, the boot assembly 130) from the outer housing 112, a usermoves the rotor 148 to the release position. The user may then pull thestrain relief boot 132 in a rearward direction relative to the outerhousing 112. As the strain relief boot 132 is moved rearward, the catch136 of each latch 134 engages the outer housing 112, which with the aidof the sloped side surface of the latch deflects the latch inward to theunlatched position (FIG. 17C). With the latch 134 in the unlatchedposition, the user can continue to move the boot assembly 130 rearward,away from the outer housing 112. The ferrule assembly 114 is alsoremoved from the outer housing 112 to change the polarity of the fiberoptic connector 110. To connect the boot assembly 130 (e.g., strainrelief boot 132) to the outer housing 112, the strain relief boot isinserted into the rear end 118 of the outer housing. As the strainrelief boot 132 moves forward, toward the front end 116, the outerhousing 112 engages the catch 136 and depresses the latch 134.Deflection of the latch 134 is facilitated by a sloped front surface ofthe latch. The latch 134 returns to its original or at rest position(e.g., latched position) once the catch 136 becomes aligned with theopening in the outer housing 112, thereby securing the boot assembly 130to the outer housing. The user then rotates the rotor 148 to the lockedposition, to lock the boot assembly 130 to the outer housing 112.Preferably, the rotor 148 rotates about 90 degrees between the lockedposition and the release position.

Referring to FIGS. 18A-18D, the steps for changing the polarity of thefiber optic connector 110 are generally shown. In FIG. 18A, the fiberoptic connector 110 is configured in a first configuration correspondingto a first polarity (e.g., the ferrule assembly 114 is in the firstposition). In this configuration, the first ferrule 124 is disposedabove the second ferrule 126. To change the polarity of the fiber opticconnector 110 to the second configuration corresponding to a secondpolarity (e.g., the ferrule assembly 114 in the second position) shownin FIG. 18D, the user removes the ferrule assembly 114 and the bootassembly 130 from the outer housing as shown in FIG. 18B. In thisexample, the ferrule assembly 114 and the boot assembly 130 moveconjointly (e.g., the boot assembly and the ferrule assembly areoperatively coupled together), although they may move independently fromone another in other embodiments. After the ferrule assembly 114 and theboot assembly 130 are removed from the interior of the outer housing112, the ferrule assembly and the boot assembly are turned over as shownin FIG. 18C. The ferrule assembly 114 and the boot assembly 130 are theninserted back into the outer housing 112, thereby placing the fiberoptic connector in the second configuration (FIG. 18D). In the secondconfiguration, the second ferrule 126 is disposed above the firstferrule 124. These steps for changing the polarity of fiber opticconnector 110 are generally the same for the other fiber opticconnectors described herein.

Referring to FIGS. 19-30C, another embodiment of the fiber opticconnector according to the present disclosure is generally indicated byreference numeral 210. Fiber optic connector 210 is generally analogousto fiber optic connector 10 and, thus, for ease of comprehension, wheresimilar, analogous or identical parts are used, reference numerals “200”units higher are employed. Accordingly, unless clearly stated orindicated otherwise, the above descriptions regarding fiber opticconnector 10 also apply to fiber optic connector 210.

The fiber optic connector 210 of this embodiment is a reversiblepolarity fiber optic connector, like fiber optic connector 10. In thisembodiment, the fiber optic connector 210 has an outer housing 212having a different configuration than the outer housing 12 describedabove and a removable (e.g., releasable) boot assembly 230 having adifferent configuration than the boot assembly 30 described above. Theouter housing 212 includes polarity keys 220.

Referring to FIGS. 22 and 23 , in this embodiment, the outer housing 212includes a boot assembly interface 213 configured to connect of the bootassembly 230 to the outer housing. The interface 213 is adjacent therear end 218 of the outer housing 212. The interface 213 includes a rearwall 215. As explained in more detail below, the boot assembly 230engages the rear wall 215 (e.g., a front surface thereof) to secure theboot assembly to the outer housing 212. The interface 213 also includesa recess or opening 217. The recess 217 is at least partially defined bythe rear wall 215 (FIG. 29 ). The recess 217 is forward of the rear wall215. The interface 213 also comprises a channel 219. The channel 219 isgenerally parallel to the central axis CA. One end (e.g., a front end)of the channel 219 opens into the recess 217 and the other, opposite end(e.g., rear end) of the channel is open to the rear of the outer housing212. The channel 219 extends through the rear wall 215 from the rear endto the recess 217. The interface 213 also comprises (e.g., defines) asnap-fit recess 221. The snap-fit recess 221 is adjacent a side of theouter housing 212 that is opposite the side to which the channel 219 isadjacent. The interface 213 includes a rib 223 disposed between (e.g.,separating) the channel 219 and the snap-fit recess 221. The interface213 is integrally formed with the outer housing 212. In the illustratedembodiment, the outer housing 212 includes two boot assembly interfaces213. The two interfaces 213 are generally disposed on opposite (top andbottom) sides of the outer housing 212. The two interfaces 213 aregenerally identical in structure and operation.

Referring to FIGS. 24 and 25 , the boot assembly 230 includes a strainrelief boot 232. The strain relief boot 232 is connected to the outerhousing 212. Specifically, the strain relief boot 232 is releasablycoupled to the outer housing 212. The strain relief boot 232 is insertedinto the rear end 218 of the outer housing 212 to attach the strainrelief boot (broadly, boot assembly 230) to the outer housing. When thestrain relief boot 232 is attached to the outer housing 212, the strainrelief boot secures the ferrule assembly 214 in the interior of theouter housing. The strain relief boot 232 generally closes off the rearend 218 of the outer housing 212, thereby securing the ferrule assembly214 in the outer housing.

The boot assembly 230 further includes a rotor 248. The rotor connectsthe strain relief boot 232 to the outer housing 212. In this embodiment,the rotor 248 includes a connector 249 configured to connect to theouter housing 212. The connector 249 is configured to engage theinterface 213 of the outer housing 212 to connect the boot assembly 230to the outer housing. The connector 249 of the rotor 248 includes ablocking portion 256. In this embodiment, the blocking portion 256comprises a protrusion. In particular, the protrusion of the blockingportion 256 comprises a hook. The hook of the blocking portion 256 isconfigured to engage the outer housing 212 (e.g., rear wall 215) tosecure the boot assembly 230 to the outer housing. The channel 219 ofthe outer housing 212 is sized and shaped to permit the blocking portion256 to move therethrough. Thus, the blocking portion 256 can move intothe recess 217 of the outer housing 212 by moving forward into andthrough the channel 219 from the rear end 218 of the outer housing.Likewise, the blocking portion 256 can move away from or out of theouter housing 212 (e.g., out of the recess 217) by moving rearward intoand through the channel 219 and out the rear end 218. As will becomeapparent, movement of the blocking portion 256 through the channel 219allows the boot assembly 230 to be connected and disconnected from theouter housing 212.

The rotor 248 (broadly, the strain relief boot 232 or the boot assembly230) is movable between a locked position (FIGS. 20, 29, 30C) and arelease position (FIGS. 21, 27, 28, and 30B). Specifically, the rotor248 is rotatable between the locked position and the release position.The blocking portion 256 is configured to block disconnection of theboot assembly 230 with the outer housing 112 in the locked position. Inthe locked position, the blocking portion 156 is disposed or arranged toinhibit the boot assembly 230 from uncoupling with the outer housing212. Specifically, in the locked position (FIGS. 20, 29, 30C), theprotrusion of the blocking portion 256 engages the outer housing 212 tosecure the boot assembly 230 to the outer housing. The protrusion of theblocking portion 256 is engageable with the rear wall 215 (e.g., thefront surface thereof) to block disconnection of the boot assembly 230with the outer housing 212 along the connection axis CA in the lockedposition of the rotor. In particular, the blocking portion 256 islongitudinally aligned (e.g., axially aligned) with the rear wall 214such that any reward movement of the strain relief boot 232 results inthe protrusion (e.g., hook) of the blocking portion contacting the rearwall. The blocking portion 256 of the rotor 248 is arranged with respectto the interface 213 so that the blocking portion is disposed forengagement with the rear wall 215 to prevent the rearward movement ofthe rotor.

The blocking portion 256 is configured to permit disconnection of theboot assembly 230 with the outer housing 212 in the release position(FIGS. 21, 27, 28, and 30B). In the release position, the blockingportion 256 is disposed or arranged to permit the uncoupling of the bootassembly 230 from the outer housing 212. In the release position, theprotrusion of the blocking portion 256 is detached from the outerhousing 212 (e.g., rear wall 215) to permit the boot assembly 230 (andtherefore the ferrule assembly 214) to be separated from the outerhousing. Specifically, the blocking portion 256 is longitudinallyaligned (e.g., axially aligned) with the channel 219 of the outerhousing 212 such that the blocking portion can move into and through thechannel. In the release position, the blocking portion 256 can moverearward out of the recess 217, into and through the channel 219, out ofthe outer housing 212. The protrusion of the strain relief boot 232 isaligned with the channel 219 in the release position of the rotor 248,and is moveable out of the recess 217 through the channel upon movementof the boot assembly 230 out of the outer housing 212 along theconnection axis.

In the illustrated embodiment, the connector 249 of the rotor 248includes a snap-fit connector 251. The snap-fit connector 251 isconfigured to form a snap-fit connection with the outer housing 212 whenthe rotor 248 is in the locked position to secure the boot assembly inthe locked position. In the illustrated embodiment, the snap-fitconnector 251 comprises a projection or rib having a rounded outer edge.The projection of the snap-fit connector 251 is sized and shaped to bereceived in the snap-fit recess 221 when the boot assembly 230 is in thelocked position. To form the snap-fit connection, the boot assembly 230is moved (e.g., rotated) from the release position to the lockedposition. As the rotor 248 is rotated in a first direction, the snap-fitconnector 251 moves past the rib 223 and into the snap-fit recess 221.One or both of the rib 223 and the snap-fit connector 251 can bereliantly deformable to permit the snap-fit connector to move past therib with the application of a sufficient amount of manual force. As therotor 248 rotates to the locked position, the rib 223 and/or snap-fitconnector 251 deflect or deform. Once the snap-fit connector 251 is inthe snap-fit recess 221, the rib 223 and/or snap-fit connector return orsnap-back to their undeformed state, securing the boot assembly 230 inthe locked position. Engagement of the snap-fit connector 251 with thesides of the outer housing 212 defining the snap-fit recess 221generally inhibits the boot assembly 230 (e.g., rotor 248) fromunintentionally moving out of the locked position (e.g., into therelease position).

To move the boot assembly 230 into the release position from the lockedposition, the boot assembly 230 (including rotor 248) is rotated in asecond direction, generally opposite the first direction, until thesnap-fit connector 251 is disposed in the channel 219. Accordingly, thechannel 219 is sized and shaped to receive the snap-fit connector 251(broadly, the connector 249). The snap-fit connector 251 is disposed ina rearward portion of the channel 219 of the outer housing when the bootassembly 230 is in the release position. The snap-fit connector 251 canmove into the channel 219 as the boot assembly 230 is moved in a forwarddirection (e.g., along the central axis CA) to couple the boot assemblyto the outer housing 212 and can move out of the channel as the bootassembly is moved in a rearward direction (e.g., along the central axis)to disconnect the boot assembly from the outer housing.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rotor 248 includes two connectors 249(e.g., two blocking portions 256), one for each interface 213 of theouter housing 212. The two connectors 249 of the strain relief boot 232are disposed on generally opposite sides of the strain relief boot. Thetwo connectors 249 are generally identical in structure and operation.

After the ferrule assembly 214 is placed in the outer housing 212 toachieve the desired polarity, the ferrule assembly is retained in theouter housing by the boot assembly 230. Referring to FIGS. 30A-C, toconnect the strain relief boot 232 (broadly, the boot assembly 230) tothe outer housing 212, the user aligns the rotor 248 with the outerhousing so that the connectors 249 are aligned with the channels 219 ofthe interfaces 213 (FIG. 30A). After the connectors 249 are aligned withthe channels 219, the user moves (e.g., inserts) the boot assembly 230forward, into the rear end 218 of the outer housing 212. As the rotor248 of the boot assembly 230 is inserted into the outer housing 212, theblocking portions 256 move into and through the channels 219. Likewise,the snap-fit connector 251 moves into the channel 219 (broadly, theconnector 249 moves into the channel). The rotor 248 (e.g., surfacesthereof) may engage the rear end 218 of the outer housing 212 to limitthe forward movement of boot assembly 230 and positon the boot assemblyin the release position (FIG. 30B). After the boot assembly 230 is inthe release position, the boot assembly (e.g., rotor 248) is rotated(FIG. 30B) to the locked position (FIG. 30C). The user applies asufficient amount of manual force to move the snap fit connectors 251from the channel 219, past the rib 223 and into the snap-fit recess 221.The snap-fit connectors 251 secure the boot assembly 230 in the lockedposition.

To disconnect the strain relief boot 232 (broadly, the boot assembly230) from the outer housing 212, the user rotates the strain relief boot(e.g., rotor 248) from to the locked position to the release position.The user applies a sufficient amount of manual force to move the snapfit connectors 251 from the snap-fit recess 221, past the rib 223 andinto the channel 219. The strain relief boot 232 may include indicia 255(FIG. 24 ) indicating the direction of movement (e.g., direction ofrotation) the user needs to move the strain relief boot to disconnectthe strain relief boot. In the illustrated embodiment, the indicia 255is an arrow pointing in the direction of movement. After the bootassembly 230 is in the release position, the user may then pull the bootassembly in a rearward direction relative to the outer housing 212. Theboot assembly 230 is moved rearward until it separates from the outerhousing 212, thereby allowing the ferrule assembly 214 to be removedfrom the outer housing to change the polarity of the fiber opticconnector 210.

Referring to FIGS. 31-35 , another embodiment of the fiber opticconnector according to the present disclosure is generally indicated byreference numeral 310. Fiber optic connector 310 is generally analogousto fiber optic connector 210 and, thus, for ease of comprehension, wheresimilar, analogous or identical parts are used, reference numerals “100”units higher are employed. Accordingly, unless clearly stated orindicated otherwise, the above descriptions regarding fiber opticconnector 210 also apply to fiber optic connector 310. The fiber opticconnector 310 has an outer housing 312 having alignment keys 320.

The fiber optic connector 310 of this embodiment is a reversiblepolarity fiber optic connector, like fiber optic connector 210. In thisembodiment, the fiber optic connector 310 has a boot assembly 330 havinga different configuration than the boot assembly 230 described above.The boot assembly 330 includes a strain relief boot 332 and a rotor 348.In this embodiment, the rotor 348 is a separate piece from the strainrelief boot 332. In other words, the rotor 348 is not integrally formedwith (e.g., as one piece with) the strain relief boot 332.

The rotor 348 is attachable (e.g., releasably attachable) to the strainrelief boot. Preferably, the connectors 349 (e.g., protrusions or hooks)of the rotor 348 are releasably coupled to the strain relief boot 332.The rotor 348 includes a latch 360 configured to connect the rotor tothe strain relief boot 332. The latch 360 is resiliently deflectable.The latch 360 is engageable with the strain relief boot 332 to connectthe rotor 348 to the strain relief boot. In the illustrated embodiment,the latch 360 is engageable with the strain relief boot 332 adjacent thefront end of the strain relief boot. The latch 360 includes a tab orcatch 364 positioned for engaging the strain relief boot 332.Specifically, the strain relief boot 332 includes (e.g., defines) arecess or opening 366 sized and shaped to receive the tab 364 of thelatch 360. The tab 364 engages an edge of the opening 366 to secure therotor 348 to the strain relief boot 332 (FIGS. 34 and 35 ). To attachthe rotor 348 to the strain relief boot 332, the rotor 348 is insertedinto the front end of the strain relief boot. As the rotor 348 isinserted, a ramp surface of the latch 360 engages the strain relief boot332, thereby deflecting the latch. Once the tab 354 of the latch 360becomes aligned with the opening 366 in the strain relief boot 332, thelatch returns or snaps-back to its undeformed position, thereby securingthe rotor 348 to the strain relief boot. In the illustrated embodiment,the rotor 348 includes two latches 360 on opposite sides of the rotor.The two latches 360 are generally identical (e.g., are mirror images ofone another). Likewise, the strain relief boot 332 includes two openings366 on generally opposite sides of the strain relief boot, one openingfor each latch 360 of the rotor 348. Except for the rotor 348 beingformed separately from the strain relief boot 332, the fiber opticconnector 310 works in the same way as the fiber optic connector 210. Bymaking the boot 332 separate from the rotor 348 is easier to make theboot from a softer and more flexible material. This permits the boot toreadily flex with the cable (as illustrated in FIG. 35 ). At the sametime, the rotor 348 can be made of a harder material to resist wear andpositively locate the ferrule assembly 312 and boot assembly 330 in theouter housing 312.

Modifications and variations of the disclosed embodiments are possiblewithout departing from the scope of the invention defined in theappended claims. For example, where specific dimensions are given, itwill be understood that they are exemplary only and other dimensions arepossible.

When introducing elements of the present invention or the embodiment(s)thereof, the articles “a”, “an”, “the” and “said” are intended to meanthat there are one or more of the elements. The terms “comprising”,“including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive and mean thatthere may be additional elements other than the listed elements.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions, products,and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it isintended that all matter contained in the above description and shown inthe accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:
 1. A reversible polarity fiber optic connectorcomprising: an outer housing having a front end and a rear end separatedalong a connection axis, the outer housing including a polarity keyconfigured for engaging a fiber optic receptacle to permit coupling ofthe outer housing in only one orientation with respect to the fiberoptic receptacle, the outer housing having an interior; a ferruleassembly including a front body, a first ferrule and a second ferrule,the first and second ferrules being supported by the front body, theferrule assembly being configured for mating reception in the interiorof the outer housing in a first position corresponding to a firstpolarity of the fiber optic connector and in a second positioncorresponding to a second polarity of the fiber optic connector, thefirst and second ferrules projecting from the front end of the outerhousing in both the first and second positions, the ferrule assemblybeing configured to form an optical connection with the fiber opticreceptacle; and a boot assembly releasably connected to the outerhousing to enable the ferrule assembly to be inserted into the interiorof the outer housing along the connection axis and to enable the ferruleassembly to be removed from the interior of the outer housing along theconnection axis when the boot assembly is disconnected from the outerhousing, the boot assembly configured to receive a cable, the bootassembly including a rotor operatively connected to the outer housingfor rotation with respect to the outer housing about the connection axisbetween a locked positon and a release position, the rotor including ablocking portion, the blocking portion being configured to blockdisconnection of the boot assembly with the outer housing in the lockedposition, and configured to permit disconnection of the boot assemblywith the outer housing in the release position.
 2. The reversiblepolarity fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein the rotor isconfigured to rotate 90° or less between the locked position and therelease position.
 3. The reversible polarity fiber optic connector ofclaim 2, further comprising a deflectable latch associated with the bootassembly, the deflectable latch being engageable with the outer housingto prevent disconnection of the boot assembly with the outer housing,and deflectable out of engagement with the outer housing to permitdisconnection of the boot assembly with the outer housing.
 4. Thereversible polarity fiber optic connector of claim 3, wherein theblocking portion of the rotor is arranged with respect to thedeflectable latch so that in the locked position of the rotor theblocking portion is disposed for engagement with the deflectable latchto prevent the deflectable latch from being deflected, and in therelease position the blocking portion is out of the way of thedeflectable latch to permit deflection of the deflectable latch.
 5. Thereversible polarity fiber optic connector of claim 4, wherein thedeflectable latch is engageable with the outer housing adjacent the rearend of the outer housing.
 6. The reversible polarity fiber opticconnector of claim 5, wherein the outer housing and the ferrule assemblyare free of mechanical connection to one another.
 7. The reversiblepolarity fiber optic connector of claim 4, wherein the boot assemblyincludes a locking device connected to the outer housing, the lockingdevice including the deflectable latch and a stator mounting the rotorof the boot assembly on the locking device.
 8. The reversible polarityfiber optic connector of claim 7, wherein the stator is configured tolimit rotation of the rotor relative to the locking device to 45° orless between the locked position and the release position.
 9. Thereversible polarity fiber optic connector of claim 7, wherein thedeflectable latch includes a tab positioned for engaging the outerhousing and a finger tab positioned to be engaged for deflecting thedeflectable latch and moving the tab out of position to engage the outerhousing.
 10. The reversible polarity fiber optic connector of claim 4,wherein the boot assembly comprises a strain relief boot constructed toreceive the cable therethrough, the strain relief boot including thedeflectable latch and defining a cavity adjacent the deflectable latch,the rotor being located in the cavity and being rotatable with respectto the strain relief boot.
 11. The reversible polarity fiber opticconnector of claim 10, wherein the rotor has a non-circular crosssection.
 12. The reversible polarity fiber optic connector of claim 11,wherein the rotor comprises flat portions on opposite sides of the rotorand opposite arcuate portions disposed between and interconnecting theflat portions, the arcuate portions being in registration with thedeflectable latch in the locked position and the flat portions being inregistration with the deflectable latch in the release position.
 13. Thereversible polarity fiber optic connector of claim 1, wherein the bootassembly includes a strain relief boot configured to receive the cabletherethrough, the strain relief boot including the rotor.
 14. Thereversible polarity fiber optic connector of claim 13, wherein theblocking portion of the rotor comprises a protrusion.
 15. The reversiblepolarity fiber optic connector of claim 14, further comprising adeflectable latch associated with the boot assembly, the deflectablelatch being engageable with the outer housing to prevent disconnectionof the boot assembly with the outer housing, and deflectable out ofengagement with the outer housing to permit disconnection of the bootassembly with the outer housing, the protrusion of the strain reliefboot being disposed to block deflection of the deflectable latch in thelocked position of the rotor.
 16. The reversible polarity fiber opticconnector of claim 13, wherein the outer housing comprises a rear wall,the protrusion of the strain relief boot being engageable with the rearwall to block disconnection of the boot assembly with the outer housingalong the connection axis in the locked position of the rotor.
 17. Thereversible polarity fiber optic connector of claim 16, wherein the outerhousing comprises a recess defined by the rear wall and a channelopening at one end into the recess and opening at an opposite end to therear of the outer housing, the protrusion of the strain relief bootbeing aligned with the channel in the release position of the rotor, andmoveable out of the recess through the channel upon movement of the bootassembly out of the outer housing along the connection axis.